I Just Booked My Cruise

I have been umming and aahing all year what to do for my own holiday this Summer. It is always nice to have something booked to look forward to. I have always wanted to do the Norwegian Fjords as the pictures look so amazing and people say how wonderful the scenery is.

As a Diamond member with Royal Caribbean, it is quite hard to move away as the benefits are so great at that level, but as a cruise specialist I do feel that I should sample a diverse range of products as there are so many options out there and I really want to try a small, traditional style ship. I also really want to try a cruise out of Tilbury as it is practically on my doorstep!

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky to be invited by Cruise and Maritime to view the ship Columbus whilst in port and to have lunch on board. the ship was on a turnaround so they were disembarking passengers and taking on new ones for the cruise leaving that afternoon, so a busy day for all the crew. However, it was all very well organised and the business development manager met us in the terminal, got us cleared by security and we were on the ship in no time. Compared to what I am used to, being a regular on Independence of the Seas, the ship looked tiny and a little shabby on approach. Well she is 30 years old now. But once we were aboard I was very pleasantly surprised. The public areas have all been renewed and she is looking very smart. A very welcoming atrium, on a small scale of course, housed a lounge, coffee bar, selection of shops and the guest services area.

We were then taken straight to the top deck of the ship to The Dome. which by day is a tranquil lounge with lovely sea views. There we were served a welcome tea or coffee in lovely china, with traditional cakes. My coffee was really tasty (cruise ships not really known for good coffee unless you pay extra) and we were told they use Dowe Egberts Coffee and Whittards tea, so all great quality. This area comes alive at night and there is live entertainment and the bar stays open until the last guest goes to bed.

After refreshments, we went down to the pool deck which is really pleasant with artificial grass, loads of space and even a swim up pool bar. There is also a grill where you can get burgers etc if you don’t want to leave the pool. On the same deck at the back of the ship is the buffet restaurant and within that the Asian Speciality restaurant which gets great reviews and at £14.90 cover charge is very reasonable.

So some facts about the ship

Built 1989, Operated as Arcadia, later Ocean Village, then was with P&O Australia

Refurbished 2015 and 2017

1400 passengers, 13 decks, 9 lifts

International Officers and Crew, British and International cruise staff and entertainers

Five Dining options including 2 fine dining options and two speciality coffee shops

Well being centre and fully equipped gym

2 heated pools and a large deck area with a big screen for movies and sporting events

Library and card room  and separate crafters studio

Main show lounge spanning two decks

8 lounge bars plus 2 deck bars and 6 entertainment venues

2 large public launderettes and ironing rooms

British themed pub and casino

Adults only area on tiered decks at the back of the ship with hot tubs and relax beds

That’s quite a lot to fit on a small ship

I was really impressed with the cabins as although a little traditional in style were large and well appointed with lots of storage.

Our tour ended and we had a delicious 4 course lunch in the waterfront restaurant. the food and service were immaculate.

This is marketed as a 3 star product at very reasonable prices and delivers a 4 star experience in many ways.

I was so impressed, I found a Fjords Cruise on her from Tilbury in early August and I have booked it! I am really looking forward to trying a cruise on a small traditional ship and will let you know what I think as you cannot really get the true feel on a day visit in port.

Pictures to follow, thanks for reading

Dee